Hope - George Potter

10 - The sorting

George still couldn't believe it. Another person had actually talked to him in a friendly manner - for hours even.

The only time he had experienced something close to that (except with Mrs Figg, Harry and Remus of course) was when a little girl had asked him to help her build a sandcastle on the playground once when he was five. However, Aunt Petunia soon realized that he was having fun, so she quickly intervened and tore him away from the girl.

He was a freak and freaks didn't deserve to have fun.

Now, to have a nice and funny conversation with another child and to see a magic castle soon, George couldn't help but wonder whether this was all a dream. Was he just imagining this in his crazy mind and anytime Aunt Petunia would knock at his door and wake him up? But it had to be real. He never knew he was in a dream while he was dreaming it.

The two boys left the train dressed in their new school robes and left their baggage behind like they were told to. It was extremely confusing on the platform, as all of the people pushed their way through the crowd, walking this way and walking that way. The two boys didn't know where they were supposed to go, so they just followed in the direction most students were walking, until they heard a deep and loud vouce call behind them, "First years to me! First years this way!"

They turned around and saw a gigantic man. He was twice as tall as a normal human being and his hands were as big, if not even bigger, as George's head. You couldn't really see his face because of his wild mane of a beard. George was certainly intimidated by the giant of a man.

Around 20 children were already standing around him and it seemed like George and Johnny were the last to join them. The giant led them on a muddy path through the woods. It had started raining again and George just wanted to get inside as fast as possible.

After about ten minutes, Hagrid, as the giant was called, said to them, "Just around this curve and you'll see Hogwarts for the first time." Excited whispering followed this statement, but they all fell silent when they laid eyes on their school for the first time.

The sight was breathtaking. They were standing on the edge of a lake and on the other side, a gigantic castle loomed over the lake. It stood on steep rocks rising up out of the water. The castle had nearly 50 towers and it glowed from afar.

"Four on a boat," Hagrid called over to them. He pointed at seven small boats that were lying in the water next to the landing stage they now all went on. George and Johnny were one of the first to sit down. A brown haired girl and a blonde boy joined them.

They all introduced themselves. The girl's name was Sarah Lockhart and her friend was called Derek Tibbles.

When it was George's turn to introduce himself, he only said his first name. He wanted to stay just 'George' for as long as possible, but he knew they were soon to find out that he was Harry Potter's brother.

Suddenly the boat started moving without them doing anything. George stared at it amazed. He just loved magic.

On their way across the lake they didn't talk, as they were all just looking at the breathtaking sight in front of them. Soon enough, they landed in a cave beneath the castle. It was very dark and cold down here, but thankfully they soon left the cave and followed Hagrid through many corridors and stairs to what seemed to be the entrance hall.

George looked around in awe. The Dursleys' house would fit more than twice into this hall and there wasn't really anything in it, it was just an entrance hall.

The children came to stop in front of a very stern looking lady.

"I will take them from here. Thank you Hagrid," she said to the giant who left through the big doors on one side of the hall, behind which they could hear many voices talking. That was probably where all of the other pupils were.